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History

Dearborn County was formed in 1803. It was named for Dr. Henry Dearborn(DR). Dearborn was U.S. Secretary of War at the time the County was named. Early growth was centered around Lawrenceburg which was an important railroad junction connecting two of the regions major rail lines.

Dearborn County originally included what is now Ohio County when it was organized in 1803. Lawrenceburg was then designated as the county seat. However, from the start, a contention existed between the towns of Lawrenceburg and Rising Sun over that designation. The contention between the two towns was resolved in 1844 when the Indiana State legislature separated the portion of Dearborn County south of Laughery Creek and created the new county of Ohio on March 1, 1844, with Rising Sun designated as its county seat.